Behind the Bitterness
by TLY
Summary: Her head rested against his chest. His face was pressed into her hair. She was waiting for him to pull away. He was expecting her to step backwards. As she turned to face him, their noses brushed with the softest of touches.
1. Chapter 1

**Behind the Bitterness**

**Author: L**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

**Author's Note:** It's been a while since I last wrote a Twilight story so I'm really out-of-touch with the characters. This story starts during the epilogue of _Eclipse_ but I changed the order of events slightly (Jacob receives the invitation to Edward and Bella's wedding before he speaks to Leah).

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Chapter 1

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Leah's Point of View

My paws pounded furiously against the forest floor as I flew through the trees. I tried to wipe Jacob's miserable expression out of my mind. I wasn't supposed to feel sorry for him after what he had just said about Sam and Emily, but I couldn't stop myself from turning around and running back in the direction I had just travelled in.

He was still sat on the ground looking completely dejected by the time I had returned. Instead of phasing into a human again, I remained in my wolf form and gently brushed my nose against his arm as I passed him.

Jacob glared at me but curiosity quickly washed over his eyes. "What do you want now?" he asked in a hard voice when he couldn't work out why I had come back.

I lifted my paw and tried to neatly trace the words '_Talk. I promise to listen_.' in the sandy gravel. He raised an eyebrow suspiciously at me but my only response was to stare intently into his eyes. I figured I would be less likely to offend him or start a fight if I couldn't make any sarcastic remarks about Bella Swan.

"Leah Clearwater, are you actually trying to be nice?" Jacob asked with teasing sarcasm.

Growling at him, I turned around and stomped away.

"Wait, Leah, come back," he protested. "I was joking."

I snapped my head in his direction, still feeling annoyed but his apologetic smile won me over. Striding over to him again, I settled on the ground and rested my head on my front paws.

Jacob was studying me with a confused stare, wary of my sudden friendliness. At the same time, I was wondering why it had been so hard to walk away. The sadness that graced his features had burned itself into my memory. I couldn't leave him like that.

For a while there was only silence in the air but he eventually broke it with a loud sigh. "They're getting married," Jacob whispered quietly before letting out an incredulous snort. "And I'm invited to the wedding."

A small growl left my mouth expressing my disbelief. Hasn't Jacob done enough for her already? Did the bloodsuckers enjoy watching him in pain?

"I knew," Jacob murmured sadly but I could also hear the anger and frustration in his voice. "I knew it was a long shot. I knew she was going to choose that leech even if it meant losing me. I just don't understand why. Why would she want to be one of... one of _them_?" He spat the word in disgust. "What about Charlie? What about me?"

He averted his gaze and turned his face away from me but I had already seen the tears welling up in his eyes. I could almost kill Bella for hurting Jacob like this. I was so lost in my own enraged thoughts that I almost missed his next words.

"I'll never see her again."

Jacob looked completely lost and there was a hint of innocence flashing across his face. I suddenly understood why I was sitting here. I could sympathise with him. We had done everything we could for the ones we love but in the end, we were overlooked. We were alone.

I let out a pained whimper and strode away. It brought back all the memories and emotions I had fought for years to bury. I could crumble at any second. Despite knowing this, I phased into a human in the cover of the trees and returned to Jacob's side. I wrapped one arm loosely around his shoulder in a half-hearted attempt to comfort him.

"Why can't you be like this all the time?" laughed Jacob but behind the surprised twinkle in his eyes stood the pain that could not be concealed.

I shrugged as my resentment towards love surged through my veins. "I guess I only know how to pity people who have had their heart broken," I muttered.

There was a flicker of annoyance on Jacob's face when the word "pity" came up but I ignored him. The tension we had miraculously managed to smother soon broke through its loose covers and flooded the atmosphere around us.

"I'm going to go," murmured Jacob, standing up and letting out a heavy sigh. "Thanks for listening, Leah. I know you must have found it torturous to not be able to bitch about Bella," he added with a light smirk.

I twisted the corners of my lips into a smirk of my own but I felt troubled by his expression. He looked tired and resigned behind his forced smile.

"I think I'll go with you," I told him as he started to turn away. When he sent me a confused look, I brushed it off and got to my feet. "I haven't seen Billy in a few weeks and I owe him an apology seeing as my stubbornness did result in his son being injured."

"Now that I think about it, you still haven't apologised to me for that," Jacob pointed out. "Or thanked me for heroically saving your life," he added with a grin.

I glared at him and punched his arm.

"I was expecting a different kind of apology," Jacob laughed but he was avoiding my gaze quite noticeably.

"Come on," I muttered, masking the suspicion that was threatening to spill into my tone. "Let's go. My niceness is going to wear off at any second." He threw me an uncomfortable look that betrayed his plans at once. My mouth dropped open as I wrestled with this revelation. "You're not going home. You're going to run away, aren't you?" I demanded furiously.

Jacob hesitated. "I'm only going to be gone for a little while," he insisted. "And I honestly think it's for the best."

Glowering at him, I gritted my teeth together and retorted, "Yeah, Jake, I can see how running away will help." I intercepted before he could voice his excuse. "Go on then. What are you still doing here? Run, Jake. Run." The words were sharp with sarcasm.

Without waiting for his response, I sprinted into the forest and phased.


	2. Chapter 2

**Behind the Bitterness**

**Author: L**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

**Author's Note:** I wanted to show their friendship from a cute point-of-view (I'm kind of tired of writing Jacob/Leah angst) but I'm not too sure about how this chapter has turned out. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

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Chapter 2

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Jacob's Point of View

I stared at the spot Leah had previously been standing in before my gaze flickered towards the forest. Within a tenth of a second I had phased and followed in her footsteps, listening intently to the almost inaudible rustle of the leaves. When I caught sight of a light grey blur, I immediately sped up.

_"If you're trying to run away, you're going in the wrong direction,"_ I heard Leah's voice mutter sarcastically in my mind when I appeared by her side.

_"Come on, Leah. Will you just tell me what's going on?"_ I pleaded, trying to clear the confusion I was feeling. _"One minute you're acting unusually nice to me and then the next, you're angry at me for no apparent reason."_

_"Okay, first, you're the one who's always telling me I should be nicer to people, and second, I do have a reason to be mad at you,"_ she retorted. _"Go away, Jake."_

I was sure Leah could sense me smirking in my thoughts. _"We both know you don't want me to go away,"_ I told her with a grin. _"You're the fastest runner in the pack and if you really wanted to, you would have lost me by now. Admit it, Leah. You want me to keep you company."_

She snapped her head towards me and snarled but I heard a soft laugh in her thoughts. I let out a triumphant growl and raced ahead although Leah caught up with ease.

_"Nice try,"_ smirked Leah but I felt her mood tense slightly. _"Are you really going to run away?"_ she asked apprehensively.

My silence answered her question but I still couldn't understand why she was angry about this. It was only going to be for a few weeks. I really need to get away from here.

_"You're letting her win,"_ Leah told me. I could hear the irritation lacing each word she thought. _"I hate what she's done to you, Jake, and now she's driving you out of La Push. You were here first. Stay, Jake. Don't let her control your happiness."_

I knew she had a point but I didn't want to admit it. _"Leah, I'm just going to be miserable if I stay here. I know you could do with the company but we'll end up driving each other insane with all the depressing thoughts,"_ I murmured lightly.

We were reaching the opening of the forest and I could already see the Clearwaters' house through the trees. I was ready to phase but when I glanced towards Leah, she had turned in a different direction without any warning.

_"Next time you decide to do that, let me know in advance,"_ I grumbled.

_"You can see into my mind and read every single one of my thoughts. It's not my fault if you don't pay enough attention,"_ smirked Leah but once again, she returned to the very subject I was trying to avoid. _"Jake, you know as well as I do that I'm rarely ever nice–"_

_"Try _never_,"_ I corrected, feeling a grin spreading across my face.

An image of Leah shoving me off of a cliff flashed through my mind, making me laugh. It was strange to think I had been so miserable less than half an hour ago and now I was actually enjoying myself. I wondered how long it would be before Leah returned to her bitter self.

_"Soon, if you keep interrupting me,"_ snapped Leah.

_"Okay, I'm sorry. Continue,"_ I murmured. Even in my wolf form, the mischievous smile was unmistakeable on my face.

_"Let's compromise. Stay for another week and if you're still upset on the seventh day then I'll let you take some time away from La Push,"_ she suggested. After hearing my silence and knowing that I was actually considering her idea, Leah relaxed and slowed to a walk.

As I replayed her words, something caught my attention. _"Wait... what do you mean by 'let me'?"_ I asked in a teasing tone.

Leah stopped abruptly and tackled me to the ground, taking me by surprise. She swatted me with her paw and then took off back towards La Push. _"Come on, Jake. Keep up."_

_"No fair,"_ I protested, hearing my husky laugh ringing in the air. _"Hey, wait up. I've made a choice."_ Leah cocked her head in my direction but continued to dash through the trees. _"I'll stay but I want you do something for me as well."_ I paused and waited to see if she was going to say anything but she remained silent. _"I don't want you to go back to the way you were. I want you to be like you are now – happy."_

Leah groaned loudly and even went as far as snarling at me.

_"Well, I guess it depends on how much you want me to stay..."_ I trailed off with a smirk.

_"Fine, but I'm still allowed to be sarcastic and it's only going to be around you,"_ she grumbled. Spotting her house through the trees, she let me run ahead so she could phase. _"Have a good night's sleep, Jake, because I'm going to be at your house bright and early tomorrow morning."_

_"Did you honestly just say '__bright__ and early'?"_ I grinned with amusement. _"And why exactly are you going to be at my house?"_

She ignored my first question. _"Well, the first and most important reason is to make sure you're still in La Push. The second reason is because we're hanging out tomorrow and I'm going to show you why you can be happy here without Bella Swan."_

_"Good luck with that."_ I forced a weak laugh and hoped that she didn't notice me flinch at the mention of Bella's name. I felt the presence of the small grey wolf disappear and glanced back, accidently catching sight of Leah's bare back.

As I sprinted back to the house, Bella – her face, her body, her voice, her scent, her touch, every part of her – invaded my thoughts. It took a few minutes before I could stop my body from shaking long enough for me to phase back into a human. After remembering my conversation with Leah, I suppressed the urge to turn and run.


	3. Chapter 3

**Behind the Bitterness**

**Author: L**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

**Author's Note:** This isn't really an interesting chapter. I'm using it to lead into the next chapter. I want to say thank you to the people who pointed out the mistake I made in the first sentence. I've corrected it now.

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Chapter 3

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While she strode through the streets of La Push towards the Blacks' house, Leah found herself lost in her thoughts about Jacob. She was hoping he was going to be there when she reached his house but the anxiety inside her was growing.

Her feet barely touched the ground before taking off into another fast-paced stride. When his house came into view, Leah wondered briefly if she should knock. Sensing her arrival, Jacob opened the door and went outside to greet her.

She hadn't noticed his presence and crashed straight into his chest. Stumbling, Leah growled in annoyance but when she looked up and saw Jacob watching her with a bright expression, a wave of happiness washed over her.

Leah let out a relieved sigh and smiled. "You're here."

"Of course I'm here," Jacob grinned. "You promised me a day of fun, remember?"

Her smile faltered slightly when she realised that she was totally unprepared. _Why didn't I make any plans last night?_ Leah thought with an inward groan.

Jacob was waiting for her to speak but her mind seemed to be somewhere else. "So, what are we doing today?" he asked with curiosity flooding his voice.

Billy unknowingly came to Leah's rescue when he appeared in the doorway. "Leah?" He was surprised to see her there but he was completely taken aback by her shy smile which had been paired with a small wave.

"Hi Billy," murmured Leah. "I'm sorry to intrude on you so early in the morning."

"You're not intruding," insisted Billy. "In fact, you should stop by more often. You know you're always welcome here." His intrigued gaze flickered back and forth between Jacob and Leah. "It's good to see you again, Leah." His friendly eyes were sparkling as he turned his chair and left the two of them alone again.

Raising an amused eyebrow, Jacob didn't even attempt to hide his laughter. He ignored her glare and asked in a teasing tone, "When did you become so polite?"

"Shut up," Leah muttered, giving him a light shove.

Jacob laughed again before resting his gaze on her face and waiting patiently for her to lead the way. After a minute passed by, he realised why she was silent. He crossed his arms and shot Leah an accusing look. "You don't have anything planned, do you?"

"We don't need plans," insisted Leah. "It'll be more fun if neither of us know what we are going to be doing; that way we can choose something we'll both enjoy."

His lips broke out into a huge grin as he listened to her excuse. "You may as well let me run away now," smirked Jacob.

Leah glowered at him and started scanning the area around them, looking for an inspiration. _Well, at least he's laughing and joking._ As she turned back towards Jacob, something behind him caught her attention – his garage.

"Hey, you own a motorcycle, don't you? You can teach me how to ride it," Leah suggested. "And I'm sure you'll find it funny to watch me crashing me into trees all morning," she added lightly but he could hear the hopeful tone in her words.

Jacob's body tensed immediately. He dropped his gaze to the floor and shifted uncomfortably. Leah noticed his fists clench and felt her heart drop. They had been doing so well.

"Jake?" she whispered slowly.

When he finally looked up, his eyes avoided Leah's as he explained in a dejected whisper, "Um... the motorcycle... well, it's something Bella and I did together. I like to think of it as our thing." He mumbled the last few words and dug his hands deep into the pockets of his shorts.

Leah was running out of ideas fast and before she could think things through, she had grabbed Jacob's arm and sunk her teeth into it. He jumped backwards in shock and yelped, staring at her with an alarmed expression that was mixed with bewilderment.

"Are you crazy?" he demanded. "Why did you just bite me?"

A small sheepish smile pulled at the corners of Leah's lips. "I didn't want you to start moping again," she explained with a shrug of her shoulders.

"So you _bit_ me?" Jacob's voice held an incredulous tone while his eyes remained wide with astonishment. He glanced down at his arm and saw her teeth mark fading into a soft tint of pink that was barely visible.

The breeze carried the sound of her gentle laugh through the air mixing it with the faint crashing of the waves on First Beach.

"I have an idea," announced Leah with a sudden rush of excitement. "Let's go cliff-diving."

Jacob knew it would be fun but it also held a painful memory in regards to Bella. His heart had stopped when he saw the ocean almost swallowing her up. The only thing on his mind at the time was that he couldn't lose her... He just couldn't.

Leah could tell that he was thinking about Bella again. His lips drew into a frown and his eyes were starting to glaze over although the pain still shone through.

"Okay, seriously, what exactly does Bella Swan have to do with cliff-diving?" asked Leah irritably. She was starting to wonder if Jacob was just drawing memories and comparisons from anything he could find.

"I promised to go cliff-diving with her once but something came up. She was really eager to try it though so she went without me. She could have died." He paused and swallowed hard. "If I had gone with her then the bloodsucker would never have returned and maybe... maybe Bella would have chosen to be with me instead."

He was speaking more to himself than Leah but she was listening intently to each word. She remembered seeing it in Jacob's thoughts when she first joined the pack; the 'what ifs' had played heavily on his mind for weeks.

Jacob felt a surge of guilt when he looked at Leah. Bella's cliff-diving incident had taken place on the same day Harry Clearwater had died of a heart attack, but Jacob had been more worried about Bella than Harry at the time.

It was Jacob's turn to take Leah by surprise. Jacob could see that Leah was trying her best to be happy so he knew the very least he could do was to give the fun a chance. He reached for her hand and started pulling her after him as he took long strides up the street.

"Wait, Jake, where are we going?"

He shot her a brilliant smile and said, "Cliff-diving."


	4. Chapter 4

**Behind the Bitterness**

**Author: L**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading and reviewing.

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Chapter 4

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They stared down into the ocean, watching as the waves crashed violently against the face of the cliff.

"Are you ready to plunge to your death?" asked Leah. Her teasing laugh echoed into the air.

"Ladies first," smirked Jacob.

Leah rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. She tugged at the bottom of her t-shirt and pulled it over her head, revealing a red bra underneath. As she started to remove her shorts, she caught sight of Jacob's raised eyebrows.

"I love the coolness of the water against my skin," shrugged Leah.

She took a few steps back and Jacob couldn't tear his gaze away from her. Her skin was flawless while her curves complimented the rest of her body perfectly but it was her face that left him mesmerized. She was beautiful.

When she noticed Jacob staring at her, Leah suddenly felt shy and a blush was beginning to creep into her cheeks. She gave him a small smirk as she said, "You're a big boy now, Jake" before running to the edge of the cliff and diving off of it.

Jacob watched her body arch for a second and then straighten with ease. Her posture remained perfectly still and he was sure that if there had been no current, Leah would have made the smallest of splashes upon entry.

As she resurfaced, Leah could feel the adrenaline running through her veins. Although the waves were beating against her, she remained unfazed and waited impatiently in the water for Jacob to take his turn.

He disappeared from view for a brief second and then flew over the edge. In the air, Jacob did two front somersaults with a full twist before hitting the water.

A grin spread across his face when he saw Leah's awed expression. "I'll race you back to the top," Jacob shouted over the waves and started swimming towards the face of the cliff.

Despite his head start, Leah managed to return to solid ground first. When Jacob finished scaling the last part of the cliff, he saw Leah dangling her legs over the edge with a triumphant look on her face.

"I think I've just proved that I'm faster than you at everything," Leah murmured proudly. She jumped to her feet and walked over to where Jacob was standing.

He let out a short husky laugh. "I'm better than you at diving," Jacob retorted. He cut her off before she could respond and smirked at her. "Admit it, Leah. You were totally impressed with my dive. I saw the admiration on your face."

"It was... okay," smiled Leah. That was the best he was going to get from her.

"Okay?" repeated Jacob, feigning offence at her choice of words. "Well, my next dive is going to be brilliant," he told her. A mischievous smile was playing on his lips.

"Do you want to go first then?" asked Leah. She was curious to see how he could possibly top his first performance.

Jacob's smirk grew wider as she slid his arms around Leah's waist. "I was thinking we could go _together_," he grinned. She began to protest but he ignored her and jumped into the air, still holding her tightly in his arms.

Leah unconsciously pressed her body closer to Jacob's as they fell. His cheek was touching hers and she could feel his breath burning against her face. A loud cheer erupted from Jacob when they hit the water but Leah was disappointed to find he was no longer holding her. She couldn't fathom where it had come from or understand why it was there though.

"That was amazing!" yelled Jacob, snapping Leah out of her thoughts. He was really enjoying himself. For the first time in a long time, he felt like a teenager again.

"I'd give it a 'seven'," said Leah when she reached his side.

"You're a harsh judge," Jacob noted before playfully pushing her head under the water. As soon as he had let go of her, he started swimming towards the shore but not without glancing back over his shoulder to make she was alright.

"Jake, I'm going to kill you for that!" she shrieked.

"You'll have to catch me first," Jacob called back.

He was already halfway to the shore when she caught up with him. They wrestled light-heartedly in the water and let the current carry them towards First Beach. When they washed onto the sand, they lay on their backs and watched the afternoon sun breaking out from behind the clouds.

Leah felt something hit her arm and cocked her head in the direction of the object. A seashell sat close to her shoulder and Jacob was leaning on his side with his head propped up on his elbow.

She reached for the shell and studied it with confusion.

"It's a present," he told her. "It's my way of saying thank you for a great morning."

"I can see you put a lot of thought into it," smirked Leah.

"Hey, it's only the first day," Jacob grinned. "Come on, I'll walk you home," he added, pulling himself up and offering his hand to her.

Leah blushed slightly as she placed her hand in his and stood up too. "But the day's not over yet," she protested. "It's hardly even begun."

"I had a really great time, Leah, and I think it's safe to say you've passed the first day but there's still another six days to go. You should probably save your ideas," he pointed out.

"Fine," Leah muttered, feeling disappointed to have their day end so soon. "I can walk myself home," she added. "I promise I won't get lost, Jake." The sarcasm was slowly sneaking its way back into her mood.

Jacob stifled a laugh and nodded towards Leah. She frowned at him and looked down. A noise which sounded like a cross between a gasp and a groan left Leah's lips when she realised that she was in nothing but her underwear. She had left her clothes on the cliff, and the fastest way home would be to cut through the streets of La Push which meant that she couldn't phase.

"Don't worry," smirked Jacob. "I'll keep all your admirers away."

She silently prayed that her mother wasn't home – Leah wasn't in the mood to answer any questions, especially ones that focussed on her lack of clothing – and reluctantly followed Jacob.


	5. Chapter 5

**Behind the Bitterness**

**Author: L**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

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Chapter 5

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Leah's Point of View

My gaze drifted from the mirror to the table by my bed and settled on the seashell Jacob had given me the day before. I heard a knock on the front door which was followed by muffled voices and footsteps advancing up the stairs.

"Leah?" My mom entered the room wearing a curious expression. "Jacob's here," she murmured and I could detect the questioning tone in her voice.

I nodded but avoided eye contact with her. After checking my appearance one final time, surprising both my mother and myself, I started towards the door but she blocked my way.

"We need to talk about what happened yesterday," she began firmly.

She had arrived home at the same time Jacob and I had reached the house, and I could tell from her shocked expression that she had jumped to conclusions straight away. I didn't feel like explaining at the time. I still don't.

"Nothing happened," I sighed when I realised she wasn't going to drop the subject. "Jake and I went cliff-diving." She raised her eyebrows at me sceptically. "Don't worry, Mom. It was completely innocent. We were just having some fun."

After searching my expression with a suspicious look, she asked hesitantly, "If something did happen, you would have been –"

"Safe?" Anger flooded my face. "Why does that even matter? I'm barren."

Her eyes were immediately filled with hurt and I looked away so I wouldn't have to see the tears welling up in them. Guilt wrenched through me; no matter how upset I was, I had never spoken to my mother like that before.

"I have to go. Jake's waiting for me," I whispered after a few silent minutes.

"Have fun," she murmured, stepping aside to let me pass. "Let me know how your day goes."

There was a hint of sadness in her voice. We didn't talk anymore, not like we used to. I pushed it to the back of my mind and ran down the stairs where Jacob was engrossed in a conversation about the pack with Seth.

Jacob grinned when he noticed me but the concern in his eyes told me he had heard us. "Hey, are you ready?"

I nodded and walked out after him. Something felt different between us today but when I stole a look at his face, he seemed completely at ease. When Jacob caught me staring at him, I turned away quickly and started to blush. It was a common occurrence these days.

"So what are we doing for day two of 'keeping Jacob in La Push'?" he smirked.

"I have no idea," I replied. "But that worked out pretty well yesterday." I threw him a smug look and headed towards the forest. "What haven't you tried in a while?"

Jacob pondered the question for a short moment. "Ice cream," he answered with a small smile. His reply was a lot more genuine than he had intended it to be.

I understood how he felt. We couldn't even do something as normal as eating an ice-cream, but I wasn't going to let this bring us down. "We could always drink it." _Come on Jake, crack a smile, _I added as an afterthought.

"Or we could take those bloodsuckers hostage and force them to feed it to us." His voice still held resentment towards those leeches (who could blame him?) but he made the effort to shoot me one of his infamous lopsided grins.

"Let's phase," I murmured. "I want to go for a run."

"Aren't we supposed to be choosing things that _I_ want to do?" Jacob smirked before phasing.

As we raced through the forest, it felt as if we were in our own little world, secluded from all the heartbreak and bitterness out there.

_"I think number one on the list of things you want to do is 'make Leah happy',"_ I told him with a grin while we weaved through the trees.

_"Wow, you're actually right."_ There was a wide smirk on his face as he said, _"For once."_

I slammed into the side of his body and he crashed into a tree, causing it to shake vigorously. He took a second to recover before chasing after me. I growled in satisfaction as I sped away from him and laughed happily in my mind.

_"That wasn't very ladylike, Leah,"_ reprimanded Jacob.

_"Quit being a girl,"_ I retorted but I started to slow down when I realised how far behind he was. A rather unpleasant smell drifted through the forest air. _Ugh, where is that coming from?_ I growled in discomfort.

A branch snapped behind me and I spun around.

_"It's no fun if you let me win,"_ Jacob pointed out as he dashed towards me.

His words barely registered in my mind. The revolting stench was beginning to make me feel nauseous. And then it hit me.

_"Wait, Jake, stop!"_ I shouted loudly in my mind. He grinded to a halt right beside me and cocked his head to the side in confusion. _"You don't think... You don't think we've crossed the boundary line, do you?"_ I asked. My eyes scanned every visible area around us.

_"We're close to the line but we haven't crossed it,"_ said Jacob. There was a long pause. _"Leah, are you okay?"_

I nodded once but there was something that didn't feel quite right. _Why would the smell be so strong if we haven't crossed the line?_

"Jake," whispered a nervous voice.

My head shot towards the speaker at once. Bella Swan was stood behind the invisible barrier with her leech of a fiancé. They were joined by his pixie-like sister.

A snarl erupted viciously from me and the leech flew into a protective stance. I snarled again and crouched down into an attacking position.

_"Leah,"_ warned Jacob sharply. _"We can't cross the line. We can't break the treaty."_

I knew that wasn't the real reason why he had stopped me. He didn't want me to hurt his precious Bella. I refused to relax my position and narrowed my eyes dangerously at her.

"We don't want any trouble," the leech murmured, directing his words at me.

_"Then what _do_ you want?"_ asked Jacob through gritted teeth.

"To talk," he replied calmly.

I glared at him furiously. His nice-guy act was beyond patronising. What could Bella possibly see in him? He's always so overprotective of her. He never lets her have any fun. _"There's nothing to talk about,"_ I snapped as a loud growl escaped me.

"Please, Jake," whispered Bella sadly when he refused to acknowledge her.

I fought to restrain myself although I wanted nothing more than to rip her head off. What right did she have to ask anything of him? He's done more than enough for her. Why can't she just leave him alone? He's finally having fun and she has to ruin it for him.

Jacob was torn between his feelings for Bella and his desire to get over her. He took a hesitant step forward and bowed his head dejectedly. Even though I couldn't see his face, I knew his eyes were filled with pain.

_"Leah's right. There's nothing to talk about,"_ Jacob said in a hard tone. Then, in a strangled voice, he added, _"Congratulations Bella."_

He turned and walked away sadly, eventually building into a sprint. I knew what he was doing. The leech would be the one to tell Bella what he had said and she would never hear how much hurt there was in Jacob's voice.

_"Yeah, congratulations Bella,"_ I snapped sarcastically. _"Now you can spend eternity feeling guilty for all the pain you've caused him."_ With one last snarl at Bella Swan, I spun around and ran after him.

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**Author's Note:** Okay, I kind of broke my rule about not writing angst into the story but I have my reasons. Leah's angst in the conversation with Sue is to show she is only happy around Jacob, and Jacob's angst is important to the next chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Behind the Bitterness**

**Author: L**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

**Author's Note:** This chapter doesn't flow very well. I should have planned it better but I've kind of been thinking about the next chapter instead. Thank you for your reviews.

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Chapter 6

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After phasing into a human, Jacob stormed out of the forest and headed straight towards his garage. He saw the pack hanging around outside his house but walked right past them without any form of acknowledgement. Leah dressed quickly and hurried after him.

"Someone should definitely sign Jake up for some anger management classes," laughed Paul.

"I know this isn't your area of expertise but why don't you try shutting up for once?" snapped Leah. "And you do this by keeping your mouth closed." She said each word slowly, in the same way one would talk to a child.

Paul's eyes flashed with anger. He started towards her but Sam held out his arm and shot him a warning look. The rest of the pack watched nervously as Leah and Paul stared each other down.

Their concentration was broken when Jacob re-emerged, carrying a motorcycle effortlessly in his arms. Leah watched his eyes fill with pain as he dropped the bike onto the ground. She scowled at Paul before walking over to Jacob.

"Jake, what are you doing?" she asked in a low voice.

"I'm going to destroy the bike," he murmured. "I'm constantly surrounded by all these memories of Bella and I can't take it anymore."

"Okay, seriously, when is he going to get over Bella Swan?" Paul muttered.

Leah glowered at him before turning back to Jacob. "Are you sure about this?" she asked. "I know how much she's hurt you but this motorcycle represents some of the good times you've shared with her. You won't be able to take it back and I don't want you to regret this."

Quil and Embry exchanged a surprised look with each other. They couldn't remember the last time Leah had been even remotely nice to any of them.

Jacob was deep in thought. In the end, he couldn't bring himself to destroy the bike and gave it a gentle kick instead. It slid across the ground and into the garage. He shot Leah a grateful smile but it held a hint of sadness.

Leah searched her mind, trying to think of something – _anything_ – she could say to make things better. "Jake, you'll be okay," she reassured him with a comforting smile. "You're just going through the five stages of grief."

They all turned to her with confused looks while Jacob grimaced at the use of the word 'grief'. Leah bit her lip nervously, ignoring the other members of the pack, and studied Jacob's expression to see if she should continue. He stared expectantly at her.

"The five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. You've already gone through the first four stages and today, when you said 'congratulations' to Bella, you achieved the fifth stage," explained Leah.

In all honesty, she didn't have a clue what she was saying but she hoped it made sense. Jacob tried to wrap his head around the theory and wondered if it meant he was moving on from Bella.

A long silence hung in the air. The rest of the pack had no idea what was going on and neither Jacob nor Leah seemed to be paying much attention to their friends. Paul elbowed Seth in the ribs and inclined his head towards them.

"So, uh, what do you guys want to do now?" asked Seth, changing the subject completely.

"Jake and I have plans," Leah replied quickly. She reached for Jacob's hand and pulled him after her, pretending not to notice the questioning looks and raised eyebrows aimed in their direction.

Leah strode swiftly though the forest by the Blacks' house and started to talk in a rushed voice. "Okay, I know it's been kind of a bad day so far but I promise it will get better."

At that moment, she decided they had gone deep enough into the forest and started to slow down but Jacob didn't realise she was going to stop. When she spun around, they crashed into each other and his hands instantly reached out to steady her.

Her head rested against his chest. His face was pressed into her hair. She was waiting for him to pull away. He was expecting her to step backwards. As she turned to face him, their noses brushed with the softest of touches.

They broke out of their trance-like states at the same time and jumped away from each other. Leah dropped her gaze to the ground while Jacob shifted nervously on the spot.

The awkwardness only seemed to intensify as the silence dragged on.

"We should head back. I'm feeling really tired," mumbled Jacob, feigning a yawn even though it was only one o'clock in the afternoon. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

Leah nodded hastily. "Um... I think I'm going to go that way," she told him, pointing in a direction different to the one they had entered in. "It's a shortcut to my house," she explained.

"Okay, so... uh..." Jacob trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she murmured.

"See you tomorrow," he replied. Jacob watched as she phased and disappeared from sight within a few seconds. Shaking his head, he tried to erase the strange moment from his mind and walked away.


	7. Chapter 7

**Behind the Bitterness**

**Author: L**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

**Author's Note:** Jacob and Leah are in this chapter but they're not in this chapter together, if that makes any sense. I know it's not interesting to read but I really wanted to write these two moments into the story.

* * *

Chapter 7

* * *

When Billy entered through the front door of his house, he found Jacob lying on the couch with his legs dangling over the armrest. He was staring absentmindedly at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts.

"What's on your mind, Jake?" asked Billy as he wheeled himself towards the couch.

"Nothing," replied Jacob.

"You should just tell her how you feel," Billy said with a knowing smile.

Jacob's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and drew into a frown. He pulled himself into a sitting position and faced his father. "Bella knows how I feel," he muttered.

"I'm not talking about Bella," murmured Billy. His smile grew wider when a puzzled expression crossed Jacob's face. "I'm talking about Leah."

"Leah?" repeated Jacob in disbelief. All his thoughts seemed to collide at once and he struggled to make sense of them.

"You've been spending a lot of time with her recently," Billy pointed out.

Shaking his head, Jacob muttered, "It's only been two days." Something had been weighing heavily on his mind all afternoon but he couldn't seem to figure out what it was. His father had only succeeded in confusing him further.

Billy almost felt like laughing at how oblivious his son was. "Well, you've been a lot happier these past two days than I've seen you in months," he said. "And I'm certain Leah has something to do with that."

Jacob had to admit that Leah _was_ the reason why he had stopped moping around but he still couldn't quite understand what his father was getting at. "Yeah, she's been a really good friend."

"Is that all she is?" asked Billy. The curiosity was unmistakeable in his voice. "I remember a time when you and Bella used to make each other happy. These days you only seem to make each other miserable. She's made her choice. You've accepted her decision. You've let her go. You just haven't realised it yet."

As far as Jacob was concerned, Billy was talking in complete riddles. "What does this have to do with Leah though?"

"It's been months since I've seen you smile. It's been even longer since I've seen Leah smile. Within the space of two days, you're both laughing and joking with each other. What does that tell you?" Billy murmured.

"We're just friends," insisted Jacob, refusing to even entertain the idea that there may be more between them. "She's been helping me move on from Bella."

Billy nodded. "I can see that, and she's been successful." He chuckled at the groan that escaped from Jacob and decided to just spell it out for his son. "You're very stubborn, Jake. When you make your mind up about something, no one can change it – I don't even think Bella could – yet with the slightest bit of persuasion, Leah was able to convince you to stay in La Push."

Jacob snapped his head towards his father in surprise. "How –"

"Nothing happens in La Push without my knowledge," he smiled. "When you're ready, you should tell her how you feel, Jake."

While Billy went outside to get some fresh air, Jacob pondered his father's words. Running a hand through his hair, he stood up from the couch and picked up the phone. He dialled the Clearwaters' home number and nervously pressed it against his ear.

_What am I doing? I don't even know how I feel,_ Jacob thought to himself. Before he could hang up, a voice rang out from the other end of the phone.

* * *

A knock on her bedroom door snapped Leah out of her thoughts. It opened slowly and her mother stepped inside with the phone in her hand.

"It's Jacob," Sue whispered, holding the phone out to her daughter.

Leah hesitated. "Could you tell him I'm asleep?" Her voice held a pleading tone and a flicker of desperation could be seen in her eyes.

Sue wore an apprehensive look as she brought the phone back up to her ear. "Jacob, I'm sorry but Leah is sleeping at the moment." She paused to listen to Jacob's response. "I will tell her you called." After saying goodbye, she hung up and turned to face her daughter with a worried expression.

"Thanks," murmured Leah while she fiddled with the seashell in her hand.

"Leah, you've spent the whole day in your room since you came home. Is everything alright?" asked Sue in a concerned voice.

"Yeah, everything's fine," replied Leah. The corners of her lips curved in a slight smile but Sue could tell it was forced.

She sat herself down on the edge of Leah's bed and hoped that their conversation would go a lot better than the one they had had earlier in the day. "Leah, you know you can always talk to me." When Leah responded with nothing but a silent nod, Sue sighed and tried again. "Did you get in a fight with Jacob?"

Leah shook her head.

A defeated expression flickered across her mother's face. "How are things going between the two of you?" she asked. It was a last-ditch attempt at making conversation.

This caught her daughter's attention. Confusion washed over Leah's face as she flew into an upright position. "What do you mean?"

"I know your relationship has only just started but how are –"

"Wait. Did you just say _relationship_?" asked Leah. Her eyes were wide with astonishment. "What makes you think Jacob and I are in a relationship?" She didn't know where her mother could have possibly gotten that idea from.

"After everything that has happened during these past two years, I don't think I've ever seen you smile as much as you have lately. I have to admit it was quite a surprise this morning to hear you say that you've been having fun," laughed Sue. "And it seems like Jacob is the source of your happiness."

"There's nothing going on," Leah protested but her blushing cheeks betrayed her. "He's in love with Bella Swan."

Sue smiled at the hidden resentment in her daughter's tone. "From what I've heard, Jacob stayed in La Push for you, not Bella."

"Where did you –"

"Nothing happens in La Push without Billy's knowledge," murmured Sue. "I rang Billy yesterday to ask about you and Jacob, and he insinuated that there was something going on between the two of you." She smiled and added, "It looks like he was right."

"Mom –" Leah started to protest.

She reached for Leah's free hand and took it into her own while she rested her other hand against her daughter's cheek. "You deserve to be happy, Leah. Don't spend the rest of your life living in the past. Don't let love pass you by."

Leah nodded and her hand unconsciously closed around the seashell.


	8. Chapter 8

**Behind the Bitterness**

**Author: L**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

* * *

Chapter 8

* * *

The moon was concealed behind the forest trees which allowed Jacob to remain hidden in the shadows as he walked hastily towards the house. Jacob's gaze swept across the front of the house until it landed on the intended window.

He shifted into an attacking stance and launched himself into the air. His hands reached towards the window ledge and gripped it for support. With one swift movement, Jacob jumped through the open window and landed lightly on the floor.

Leah seemed to sense his presence at once. She slowly turned in his direction and stole a cautious look at the intruder. When she realised it was Jacob, her eyes grew wide with astonishment and she abruptly flew into an upright position.

"Jake!" Leah barely managed to keep her voice to a whisper. "What are you doing here?"

Jacob had run through several explanations in his mind when he had made the decision to come here tonight, but right now he was at a complete loss for words.

"I wanted to talk to you," Jacob eventually replied.

"So you decided to break into my room?" asked Leah in disbelief. She groaned and pulled the covers over her head. "Jake, can this wait until the morning?" The words came out in an almost incoherent mumble as Leah fought to stay awake for a few more minutes.

Jacob laughed in amusement but he couldn't help shooting a nervous look in the direction of the door. He was fairly certain that Sue wouldn't appreciate catching him in her daughter's bedroom.

"Trust me, Leah. This is important," Jacob told her.

Leah glanced at him over the top of her covers and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "_How_ important?" she asked in a curious tone.

"Really, _really_ important," smirked Jacob. With a light roll of her eyes, Leah gestured for him to start talking. Shaking his head, he murmured in a low voice, "Not here." Jacob shot her a mischievous smile. "I was thinking we could go for a ride."

Leah diverted her gaze to the floor at once but he didn't miss the mix of intrigue and excitement in her eyes. Without waiting for a response from her, he flew out of the window and landed soundlessly on the ground.

As he headed towards his motorcycle, Jacob heard light footsteps following him and smiled.

"Where are we going?" asked Leah as she started to get onto the back of the bike. She placed her hands on either side of Jacob's waist and rested her head comfortably on his back. Her cheeks were blushing furiously in the dimmed moonlight.

Turning around to face her, Jacob shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "I have no idea but it's just gone past midnight. Day three," he grinned. "Yesterday didn't exactly go according to plan – well, technically, we didn't have one – but I thought we could get an early start on the fun."

The bike roared to life and Jacob took control, directing them into the forest. Leah couldn't stop the small smile from spreading across her face and wrapped her arms tightly around his body.

"I was talking to Billy earlier," Jacob murmured.

"Did he finally teach you about the birds and the bees?" teased Leah.

Jacob let out a short husky laugh as they flew over a low branch. "He still hasn't got around to it yet but if you want, we can talk about that now," smirked Jacob.

"Didn't you have something important that you wanted to say?" she reminded him. Aside from wanting to change the subject, Leah could feel the impatience building up inside her.

The beating of his heart sped up and in that moment, Jacob knew how true his next words were going to be.

"I like you, Leah."

Leah was speechless. His words had been loud and clear, even with the sound of the engine in the background, but she couldn't help wondering if she had misheard him.

Shifting his weight onto the right side of his body, Jacob did a u-turn around a tree and hit the brakes on the bike. He turned off the engine and stood in front of her.

With a deep breath, Jacob repeated in a soft whisper, "I like you, Leah."

Their eyes locked together and Leah couldn't tear her gaze away. He waited for her to speak but his revelation had only just started to sink into her mind. The silence was beginning to make Jacob nervous and he felt the need to fill it.

"After I received the invitation to Bella's wedding, I had every reason to leave La Push. I told myself that there was nothing keeping me here and I thought I was right."

He paused to study her reaction. Leah was wearing a stunned expression but she was listening intently to each word he said.

"You gave me a reason to stay, Leah," he murmured, never taking his eyes off of her. "All Bella and I ever seem to do is make each other miserable but with you it's different. When I'm with you, I'm happy. I don't want to spend the rest of my life holding onto that pain and heartbreak when I have a chance to fall in love, and I'm hoping you won't either."

Leah's thoughts immediately flashed to Sam. She had spent the past two days telling Jacob to move on because Bella had made her choice. Sam had made his choice years ago and Leah wanted nothing than to take her own advice, but her first experience with love had left her fearful.

"Jake, I don't think this is a good idea," whispered Leah sadly. Her tone was apologetic. "If we were meant to be then we would have imprinted on each other," she tried to reason with him.

"Screw imprinting," Jacob said in a firm voice. "When I fall in love, I want to know that I really _am_ in love, not just because some strange magic is forcing me to think that I am. It's my life. It's my choice. I get to be the one that determines who my soul mate is." He took her hands into his own and smiled softly. "The fact that we haven't already imprinted on each other just proves how unreliable it is."

Jacob fought to hide the hesitation in his eyes and tried to keep his expression calm. After a few minutes of silence, he sighed and got back onto the bike.

"I better take you home before Sue discovers you're missing," he murmured.

They were closer to the house than Leah had thought but with the uncomfortable tension between them, the journey felt longer than it actually was.

There had been a rush of uncertainty in her mind when Jacob had said those four words and they weighed heavily on her heart. She didn't want to fall in love with Jacob only to have him leave her like Sam did.

The bike slowed to a stop in front of her house and Leah glanced nervously at Jacob. He slid off of the bike in silence and offered her his hand. They shuffled awkwardly on the spot, avoiding each others' gazes until Leah eventually decided to break the silence.

"I should..." She trailed off and lifted her head slightly. Jacob nodded, showing that he understood, and watched her walk away.

_"Don't let love pass you by."_

The words echoed in Leah's mind as she got closer to the house. She spun around and jogged back towards a confused Jacob. Before he could speak, her lips had pressed gently against his. The kiss was short but Jacob was too surprised to feel disappointed about it.

Their shyness suddenly overcame them. Neither of them knew what to do in that moment.

"Um... thanks for stopping by tonight," Leah murmured as a smile spread across her face. "I had a nice time." She knew that it didn't do the night enough justice but Jacob didn't seem to mind.

"I'll see you in the morning?" Jacob asked hesitantly.

Leah nodded and her smile grew. She made a mental note to bring him some muffins as well. "Good night, Jake."

He waited until she had entered her bedroom before starting the bike again. Leah watched him from the corner of her window until he disappeared from sight. She slid into her bed and fell into a comfortable slumber.

* * *

After letting the curtain fall back into place, Sue picked up the phone that was lying on her nightstand and dialled a familiar number.

"Billy?" She paused and waited for him to respond. "It looks like they've finally caught on," Sue smiled. "Oh and can you please let Jacob know that if he wants to remain inconspicuous next time then it probably isn't a good idea to bring his motorcycle along?"

**

* * *

**

**The End**

* * *

**Author's Note:** I always seem to end my stories in awkward places. Thank you for reading, reviewing and supporting this story. I really appreciate it.


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